Central University to have one campus at HRD approved land in Dharamsala: CM

Dharamsala, January 24, 2016: Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh while addressing public meeting at Raja-Ka-Talab in Fatehpur constituency of district Kangra on Sunday  said that the consolidated campus of the central university would be set up at Jadrangal near Chamunda temple in Dharamsala ,as the land had been selected and approved by Human Resource Ministry. He said though the faculties of the University could be opened at some other place in Kangra district.

“I have cordial relations with everyone irrespective of the party affiliations and even today I have warm relations with everyone including leaders in the present central government for the better interest of Himachal Pradesh”, he said, adding that he have respect and regards for the Prime Minister too.

On the other hand Kuldip Agnihotri, The VC of Central University Himachal Pradesh (CUHP),  said today that the land for the campus near Dharamsala was yet to be finalised. When asked to comment about the statement of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh that the CUHP would have only one campus near Dharamsala, the VC said it was a political statement.

A team of the HRD Ministry is yet to visit the spot and approve the land at Jagdarangal near the Chamunda Devi temple in Dharamsala. The state government proposed about 300 acres at Jagdarangal for the campus. The university had sent the proposal to the HRD Ministry to set up a campus.

The VC said that the Centre wanted that the campus of the CUHP should up set up at the earliest.

The previous BJP government had proposed to develop two campuses of the CUHP in Dharamsala and about 70 per cent at Dehra. Where as the present government of Himachal wants the major share of CUHP and its head quarter at Dharamshala

 The Central University of Himachal Pradesh is a university operating at the moment  from temporary academic block which is established at Shahpur, Himachal Pradesh. This university was founded in 2009 in accordance to the Central Universities Act 2009 (No. 25 of 2009) of the Indian Parliament. The act received presidential assent on 20 March 2009 and provided for the establishment of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh, amongst others. Since then two major political parties in the state is in tug of war to get it in the areas of their major vote bank.

BJP MP Anuraag Thakur wants the university to be set up in Dehra of Kangra District, because  the area comes under his parliamentary boundaries and Congress is of the opinion that Sonia Gandhi during her visit to Dharamsala in 2007 declared the same for Dharamsala. Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh indicated it several times that the delay in finalizing the land for university is because of the political tactics of ex MP Dhumal’s son, Anuraag Thakur.